Words With Friends is celebrating its twelfth anniversary with a host of in-game events

Zynga Inc has declared that July 19th is “National Words With Friends Day”. It will be celebrated in-game with a two-week festival. During this time, players can enjoy a host of gameplay events, challenges, sweepstakes and even celebrity guests. The announcement coincides with the game's 12th birthday. That's right. It's been twelve years. That makes me feel old.

From July 19th – 25th, players can participate in a community-driven competition called Choose Your Side. They can either join team Early Bird or Night Owl before racking up points by completing moves in Classic matches. Once this week is over, the winning team will earn a limited-edition reward, with the other team still getting a consolation prize.

Then, from July 27th – August 1st, social media influencers will act as opponents in the game's singleplayer mode. This will include Christy Carlson Romano, Mom Worthy podcast hosts Britt & Sam, reality TV star Victor Arroyo and music artist and vlogger, Lo Beeston.

The second week also offers more rewards through the 12th Birthday Weekly Challenge, including a Birthday badge. Meanwhile, in Quick Play, players will find a birthday themed version of Duels, with a cake-shaped board. Finally, there is the opportunity to win some money by participating in a sweepstakes event. Details for this can be found on its dedicated website.

Discussing the anniversary and events, Bernard Kim, President of Publishing at Zynga said: “Mark your calendars: Words With Friends is more than just a game; it’s part of our culture and our vernacular. Over the past 12 years, it's grown from a popular app to a global sensation, and we’re excited to celebrate this first annual national day and festival with our fans in the game we all love.”

Words With Friends 2 is available now over on the App Store and Google Play. It's a free-to-play game with in-app purchases.